title: Neuropsychological performance in children with temporal lobe epilepsy having normal MRI findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most information on the neuropsychological performance of pediatric patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is derived from selected surgical series. Non-lesional pediatric TLE patients were studied here at the population level in order to investigate the extent to which neuropsychological deficits predisposing to learning difficulties exist in this more common group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Language, memory and executive functions were measured in children aged 8-15 years with non-lesional TLE and of normal intelligence (n = 21), and their performance was compared with that of healthy age and gender-matched children (n = 21). The effects of clinical epilepsy variables on performance were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although neuropsychological performance did not differ between the TLE patients and the healthy controls, female gender, early onset, longer duration and abnormal interictal EEG had a negative effect on neuropsychological performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with early-onset epilepsy should be assessed carefully for neuropsychological impairment using sufficiently broad batteries of tests in order to detect even slight deficits. Our sample size was small and these findings should be interpreted as preliminary results and need to be confirmed in larger studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Oulu University Hospital, PB 29, 90014 Oulu, Finland. Electronic address: katariina.mankinen@oulu.fi.
authors.forename: Katariina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mankinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Marika J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Harila
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Seppo I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Rytky
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Oulu University Hospital, PB 29, 90014 Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Tytti M-L
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pokka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Oulu University Hospital, PB 29, 90014 Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Rantala
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014888:Wechsler Scales
keywords: Learning difficulties; Neuropsychological performance; Temporal lobe epilepsy